Free Streaming App Popcorn Time Gets Chromecast Support

The free streaming app Popcorn Time just got updated with Chromecast support, allowing users of the service to stream apps via bittorrent to their Windows PC or laptop and then throw it to their Chromecast-connected TV. The alpha version that supports casting is only available for Windows right now, with Mac and Android updates coming shortly. If you’re not familiar with Popcorn Time, it’s a media player with a twist. It works using the bittorrent P2P protocol. The app finds torrents or pirated films and makes them available to users in a sleek, Netflix-style interface. When users select the movie they want to watch, the program streams the movie via bittorrent. It also uploads the movie to the bittorrent swarm as you’re watching. This type of service may be illegal, depending on what and where you’re watching.

The media player is so popular because it’s free, the UI and UX are responsive and clean, and because it’s, uh, free. Most torrent apps require a little more work and also require downloading and locally storing the media that you want to enjoy. Popcorn Time streams that media instead. You can browse movies and TV shows, or enter your own torrents if you want to be that hands on. You don’t have to, though. That’s what makes the app so easy to use. There’s even a free VPN service in the newest version of the media player, in case you’re worried about the legality of using the service.

Popcorn Time looks a bit like the Show Box streaming app that we’ve discussed on the Android Headlines Show in the past. Finding free alternatives to Netflix and Hulu Plus is all the rage right now. These apps can also give you access to shows like Game of Thrones that aren’t readily available on most streaming platforms. We’re not recommending you pirate your TV shows and movies, though. That wouldn’t be legal or very nice, now would it? You can find the alpha version of Popcorn Time for Windows, with Chromecast support at their blog post in the source link below. There’s a more stable version for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android that doesn’t have Chromecast support as well. Happy streaming!